Russia says Riyadh talks do not speak for entire Syrian opposition

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A meeting of Syrian opposition groups in Riyadh on Thursday did not represent all opposition groups from the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

“We cannot accept the attempt by the group which met in Riyadh to assign itself the right to speak on behalf of the entire Syrian opposition,” the ministry said in a statement.

The talks between Syrian opposition groups in Saudi Arabia this week called for an all-inclusive, democratic Syria and said Moscow’s regional ally President Bashar al-Assad should leave power at the start of a transitional period.